Posted By: salth2o
Inks Lake State Park drawn hunt - 01/29/21 12:45 AM
I was selected for a gun deer antlerless hunt at Inks Lake. Our quota was two deer antlerless of spike and unlimited hogs and exotics. They said that exotics really aren’t around here. Got there a day early and set up my tent in camp. It’s a Beautiful park. Met the staff for orientation on the first mornign and we drew for blinds. I drew blind 14. Park staff usually take you to and from your stand, but due to the ‘rona they show you your stand location and you drive yourself. They are a great group of guys and are very helpful. Even provide ice for your cooler after you skin your deer.
We were hunting the hiking trails away from the camp sites as they are still open. My stand was about 3 miles from the park entrance. Feeders have been running all season and they throw corn twice a day. You can bring anything else you would like to put out as well.
The blinds are amazing. They use them for their ADA hunts. 8x8 box blinds with a large shooting bench and gun rests. Story on these is that a local taxidermist and processor in Burnet has a daughter who was injured in a vehicle accident and he wanted to do something in her honor. So they host these hunts each year.
The first afternoon was warm and hunting was slow. I shot a pig at last light. It was the only thing I saw. He weighed a little over 200 and had some decent cutters. The next morning was cooler and the deer were moving. I saw two young bucks around 7:30am and then a group of doe showed up. I picked out the largest one and squeezed off a round. She spun and ran towards a tree line. Blood trails like these are always a good sign and I found her piled up just a few steps inside the trees. She weighed 80 lbs and they aged her at 4.5 years old.
Pancakes and bacon for brunch. A guy and his lady friend showed up to a camping spot across from me as I was finishing up eating. He was struggling mightily with his tent. I walked over and asked if he wanted some help. He said he had never set up a tent before and would love some assistance. We got it set up in no time flat. Then he tried to light a charcoal grill. My assumption is this is a new venture too. He’s almost used an entire container of lighter fluid.
With one doe in the cooler, I needed one more to fill my quota. I got in the stand around 3:00pm and at 4:30pm 2 doe made their way into the field and headed towards the feeder. I settled into shooting position and waited for the biggest of the two to give me a broadside shot. She did and I squeezed off the on the old .270. She ran about 30 yards and dropped. I got her loaded up and headed to HQ. She weighed 88 pounds and was aged at 1.5 years old. The guy aging her prefaced this with “I’m not the best at aging’”. Her teeth looked like she was young. She did not have much fat like the other one I shot that was aged at 4.5.
Since I couldn’t shoot another deer, no exotics are in the area, and with temps going to drop to freezing, I decided I could break camp and be home before 11:00pm.
All in all, it was a very successful hunt for me. I shot something on each of the three times I was in the stand. The only other deer I know that was killed while there was a yearling doe a lady shot on the first morning. The staff and volunteers at this park are top notch. They really work hard for you and provide a nice, well lit skinning area and ice for your cooler after the kill. One of the volunteers kept a fresh pot of coffee available at HQ for all of us as well.
We were hunting the hiking trails away from the camp sites as they are still open. My stand was about 3 miles from the park entrance. Feeders have been running all season and they throw corn twice a day. You can bring anything else you would like to put out as well.
The blinds are amazing. They use them for their ADA hunts. 8x8 box blinds with a large shooting bench and gun rests. Story on these is that a local taxidermist and processor in Burnet has a daughter who was injured in a vehicle accident and he wanted to do something in her honor. So they host these hunts each year.
The first afternoon was warm and hunting was slow. I shot a pig at last light. It was the only thing I saw. He weighed a little over 200 and had some decent cutters. The next morning was cooler and the deer were moving. I saw two young bucks around 7:30am and then a group of doe showed up. I picked out the largest one and squeezed off a round. She spun and ran towards a tree line. Blood trails like these are always a good sign and I found her piled up just a few steps inside the trees. She weighed 80 lbs and they aged her at 4.5 years old.
Pancakes and bacon for brunch. A guy and his lady friend showed up to a camping spot across from me as I was finishing up eating. He was struggling mightily with his tent. I walked over and asked if he wanted some help. He said he had never set up a tent before and would love some assistance. We got it set up in no time flat. Then he tried to light a charcoal grill. My assumption is this is a new venture too. He’s almost used an entire container of lighter fluid.
With one doe in the cooler, I needed one more to fill my quota. I got in the stand around 3:00pm and at 4:30pm 2 doe made their way into the field and headed towards the feeder. I settled into shooting position and waited for the biggest of the two to give me a broadside shot. She did and I squeezed off the on the old .270. She ran about 30 yards and dropped. I got her loaded up and headed to HQ. She weighed 88 pounds and was aged at 1.5 years old. The guy aging her prefaced this with “I’m not the best at aging’”. Her teeth looked like she was young. She did not have much fat like the other one I shot that was aged at 4.5.
Since I couldn’t shoot another deer, no exotics are in the area, and with temps going to drop to freezing, I decided I could break camp and be home before 11:00pm.
All in all, it was a very successful hunt for me. I shot something on each of the three times I was in the stand. The only other deer I know that was killed while there was a yearling doe a lady shot on the first morning. The staff and volunteers at this park are top notch. They really work hard for you and provide a nice, well lit skinning area and ice for your cooler after the kill. One of the volunteers kept a fresh pot of coffee available at HQ for all of us as well.
